Romantic Tensions

Romantic Tensions is a highly personal, earnest body of work that was created in tandem with my current romantic relationship. While dating, I struggled to reconcile disparate feelings, gut reactions, community knowledge and unique experiences. I wanted to resist cynicism while holding onto my highest ideals. I created three archetypes of myself and, like an author listening to their characters, I let them show me different ways of seeking love. These selves embody core tensions in the work: practicality vs desire, prioritizing romantic love vs investing more broadly in life, and giving love every chance to succeed without compromising one’s truest self.

The selves: Brave Front, Head of Feelings, and Spymaster appear in linocut reduction prints where they act out a variety of Romantic plot points. They are staged as if for a theatrical production, with costumes, props and set design around them. Each print is centred within a theatre: a large, wooden, interactive frame that emphasizes some part of the emotional message. By physically activating the art, viewers may gain a sense of clarity, hope, or closure.